Volunteers For Dylan

There is a saying that it is better to give than to receive. Or, out of abundance in which we enjoy, when given to those in need, the one who gives will be blessed of untold measure. It is with this in mind we bring to your attention the need of Dylan Preston from Lanark.

Dylan is the twelve year old son of Sam and Luanne Preston. From infancy Dylan has been plagued with numerous health issues and is currently in need of a lifesaving kidney transplant. Our team of volunteers has joined forces with Children's Organ Transplant Association (COTA) to help raise funds in which the Preston's need to offset mounting medical and related expenses. COTA is a national organization which exists to help children and young adults who need a lifesaving transplant by providing fundraising assistance and family support.

Online support can be given to the family by visiting www.cotafordylanp.com with 100% of all donations given in support of Dylan. There has been an account opened for the family at the Exchange State Bank in Lanark if you would prefer to make a donation in that manner. Over the next nine months or so there will be many and varied ways to give.

We are in the planning stages of a benefit meal and auction to be held on April 26. Dine-in-for-Dylan is March 16-20 where selected area restaurants will donate a portion of their receipts back in support. A Cajun meal and art sale is planned in conjunction with Old Settlers Days in Lanark, held at the end of June. Donation boxes will soon be in local businesses to drop in those loose coins all given to Dylan's benefit. These are a few of the events being planned with more to come. Specific time and dates will follow in the Prairie Advocate (www.pacc-news.com) as we get closer to event times.

Contact Dana Keim at 1- for more information on coming events, or to donate go to www.cotafordylanp.com. We all know how difficult the economic times are currently. But, that doesn't stop the need of those that are sick or hurting, it magnifies the need. Open your hearts and give. It will be a blessing to you. Thank you in advance.

Volunteers for Dylan committee,

Dana Keim, chairperson

Lanark, IL

Capitol Fax

Rich Miller's commentary on State Government

The nasty and brutish Statehouse war is officially over for everyone but House Speaker Michael Madigan.

The House Republicans made a big stink last week. It was totally expected. They were upset with House Majority Leader Barbara Flynn Currie's explanation for why she did not immediately inform the House impeachment committee that US Sen. Roland Burris had submitted a new and highly explosive sworn affidavit. The affidavit created a media feeding frenzy because it raised serious questions about Burris' truthfulness about his appointment to the Senate by former Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

What wasn't expected is the way Speaker Madigan reacted to the minority Republicans. Madigan ordered his Rules Committee to pop a Rep. Jack Franks (D-Marengo) resolution onto the floor which asked for an investigation by the Sangamon County State's Attorney, who is already looking into whether Sen. Burris committed perjury during his impeachment committee testimony and via his affidavits.

The Franks resolution asked the state's attorney to look into allegations made by Blagojevich on WLS Radio several days ago. Blagojevich claimed that a legislative leader asked him to find a state job for a legislator's secretary after the legislator's wife discovered the two were having an affair.

Cross immediately saw the move for exactly what it was: A blatant attempt to punish the House Republicans for speaking out about an issue they believed to be important. Cross excoriated Madigan and the Democrats for bringing Franks' resolution to the floor and threatened to retaliate, vowing to ask the state's attorney to investigate everything that Blagojevich has ever said and ever will say about hanky panky by House Democrats.

Since Cross took the bait, pretty much everyone under the dome immediately assumed that he was the legislative leader mentioned by Blagojevich, even though he later denied it.

But the Madigan trick worked. The emphasis was now off Currie and on a potential sex scandal involving a legislator. And because of that, the big issue on many minds last week was where Madigan's move might eventually lead.

Legislators are human beings. They are therefore flawed. Attacking one member for an egregious personal mistake could open up the biggest can of worms imaginable. I mean, seriously, are they now going to start outing legislators, statewide officials and top staff who've succumbed to various human temptations? Can Madigan truly think he can sanctimoniously throw the first stone knowing what he does (and what others do) about his own people and what he has done to help them solve their little problems or extricate themselves from sticky situations? If he asks, I'd be happy to remind him.

Since the nuclear option could destroy so many lives, things will probably stop right where they are. Sinners can breathe easy.

The real problem here is that Madigan doesn't seem to realize that the war is over. His former enemies Blagojevich and former Senate President Emil Jones are gone. The new Senate President is the godfather of Madigan's only son. The new governor is so eager to avoid Blagojevich's many mistakes that he appears to be more than willing to bow to Madigan's power. Last year's election resulted in Madigan controlling 71 seats, just one short of a super-majority, so the Republicans have been thoroughly defeated.

Yet, Madigan continues to punish everyone he believes are his enemies. House Democrats who allied themselves with Blagojevich have been whacked but good. The onerous and oppressive House rules, originally put in place by the Republicans to keep Madigan from waging guerilla warfare when he was in the minority party, have been left unchanged. And the pathetically powerless Republicans who dared defy Madigan last year by working with Blagojevich on the capital construction plan are being stomped at almost every turn.

Blagojevich's horrid legacy is being purged in the Senate. Democrats and Republicans are attempting to work with each other for the first time in years. Senate President John Cullerton even set up a bipartisan dinner event for Senators and their spouses. And he has loosened his office's stranglehold on power.

But Blagojevich's ghost reigns supreme in the House. It's like he never left. He can still control events from afar, as was amply demonstrated last week.

Rich Miller also publishes Capitol Fax, a daily political newsletter, and thecapitolfaxblog.com.

Capitol Report

By Jim Sacia, State Representative, 89th District

My plan this week was to share with you information regarding Illinois' benefits from the newly-signed federal stimulus package. Next week, though, the numbers will be clearer and I will be better able to take a shot at it.

This week my anger over Senator Burris's appointment continued to boil. I sat on the House Impeachment Investigative Committee and listened to Senator Burris testify on January 8th, about his lack of involvement or conversations with then-Governor Blagojevich's camp. His testimony had a smell to it then but I, like the other twenty members of the committee, had no choice but to believe him. How possibly could this man, in his contacts with the former Governor and his inner circle, not have had any discussion about some type of a trade-off in return for his appointment as a U. S. Senator?

There are two issues here that I find to be the most frustrating. First, Roland Burris is the former Attorney General of Illinois; that's the highest law-enforcement position in our state. It would be hard for this former prosecutor to claim he didn't understand the questions or his responsibility to answer fully and truthfully under oath. Secondly, on at least three occasions, Representative Jim Durkin, the Minority Spokesman on the committee, was interrupted then chastised for asking pointed questions about Burris's involvement with the former Governor.

Wait a minute, why did U. S. Senate Majority Leader Reid and our Senior Senator from Illinois, Dick Durbin, tell then-appointee Burris that he needed to appear before our committee? We all know why, to assure the people that this was an above-board appointment and that Burris was not a part of the Blagojevich scandal surrounding the attempted sale of the Senate seat. Yeah, right. Once again the great State of Illinois is the laughingstock of the nation.

Senator Burris can try to spin it any way he wants. The fact is he was less than truthful in written affidavits and in his sworn testimony under oath.

For just a moment, think of the consequences had he been truthful. Remember, this is a man who has already had a marble mausoleum erected in a Chicago cemetery listing his lifetime achievements. I am absolutely convinced that had Senators Reid and Durbin known the truth about Roland Burris's conversations with the Blagojevich camp, Mr. Burris would never have been seated in the U. S. Senate. Gosh, then he wouldn't have been able to chisel "United States Senator" in the mausoleum.

Suddenly, a month after his testimony, he has an epiphany: Oh, my. I may have left some things out of my testimony before the impeachment committee. I know; I'll file an amended affidavit with the committee in case any of those conversations were caught on tape by federal investigators.

That affidavit was conveniently buried until it was brought to light by the Chicago Sun Times on Valentine's Day, February 14th. Since then, the Junior Senator from Illinois has filed two more affidavits with yet more epiphanies about information left out of his previous testimony.

If we, the members of the Illinois General Assembly, allow this miscarriage of justice to continue then we have learned nothing from the entire Blagojevich fiasco. If the leadership in the U. S. Senate fails to act, then they are fools. Sadly, my guess is that little will happen before we go to the polls in two years.

As always, you can reach me, Sally or Barb at or e-mail us at . You can also visit my website at www.jimsacia.com. It's always a pleasure to hear from you.